Effect of Sodium Hyaluronate on Recovery after Arthroscopic Knee Surgery

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a single immediate postoperative instillation of 10 mL of sodium hyaluronate (Viscoseal) into the knee following arthroscopy. A single-center, prospective, randomized, controlled study was undertaken. Consenting knee arthroscopy patients were randomized into two groups following surgery: the study group received 10 mL of sodium hyaluronate intra-articularly, while the control group received an intra-articular instillation of 10 mL of Bupivacaine. Pre- and postoperative visual analogue scale scores for pain and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) scores for knee function were obtained. Overall, 48 patients under the care of a single surgeon were randomized into two groups of 24. There were no statistically significant demographic differences at baseline. Three patients were lost to follow-up. There was a statistically significant difference in pain scores favoring the study group compared with the control group at 3 and 6 weeks postoperatively (p < 0.05), and a statistically significant difference in WOMAC scores favoring the study group compared with the control group at 3 and 6 weeks postoperatively (p = 0.01). Synovial fluid replacement with sodium hyaluronate following arthroscopic knee surgery conferred statistically significant improvements in pain and function scores compared with Bupivacaine in the short term (3-6 weeks).